Once and Future Queen Of Avalon
by p.cole1
Summary: As a baby, Reyna's grandparents had brought her to Avalon to escape the fate of the rest of their family. The island itself struggled to maintain balance in the absence of a King. Eleven years later Reyna finds the island on the verge of war between the Dukes of Avalon while the wild animal clans threaten the kingdom of men. Reyna must find a way to restore the balance to Avalon.
1. Chapter 1

THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN

The Sleeping King Series

CHAPTER 1: CONQUEST

Yellow Eyes tightened his paws against the hard surface. Claws dug in and pocked the rock overlooking the valley. The day had finally arrived for them to move out. At some point, every inch of dirt and every blade of grass that his sight touched, the pads of his feet had also touched. Man called it the Valley of the Willow for the trees. For the longest time the wolf packs had called it home, but no longer, for the Valley of the Willow weeps.

The secluded valley should had been large enough for them, but it became completely overrun. Perhaps if they had heeded his warnings it would not have come to this. Yellow Eyes growled away what could have been and instead focused on what came to be. A balance needed to exist or the land would have nothing left to give. This ravaged land pleaded for relief, it wept for it.

The time for milder actions ran out many moons ago. The wolves needed to leave and they were not going to do it on their own, so he acted. The Alpha wolves required more convincing than anticipated. They forced him to use their own weakness against them. In the end, Yellow Eyes used a single, yet powerful word to persuade them. Eyes greedily widen and fangs hungrily dripped at mention of that word.

"Conquest!"

Yellow Eyes placed the word into their minds. It echoed in their heads. They ate it up like the last mob of deer in the valley. The word had been born from human lips and for a time it only held meaning to them. That time had passed and now four-legged creatures embraced it as well. He hoped that this would have never come to pass, but to ignore it would be a fallacy.

The wolveslacked the capacity to speak so they howled their agreement. The Alphas left behind a few of their own to watch the valley as Yellow Eyes instructed. The rest marched out in great numbers. Yellow Eyes dangled the promise of more land and more meat in front of the Alphas and in turn, they pushed their warrior packs towards the land of men.

Yellow Eyes watched the throng of wolves depart the home they had known their whole lives. These extreme methods to maintain balance continued to escalate. Unless the _One_ capable of carrying the weight of both the King's Blade and the Feral Crown stepped forth, it will just worsen.

The _Uniter_ is whom the land required to maintain balance. A person that would unite the conflicting two forces on the island to restore balance. The lastclaimant to wield the King's Blade went mad once the Feral Crown touched his brow. He plunged the blade into the stone and plunged the hope from Yellow Eye's chest. The crown broke apart to return to the spirits of the wilderness and the blade sank deep in the rock ever since. To hand him the crown without the Quest had proven to be mistake, one never to be repeated.

Yellow Eyes fought against the sorrow as if it was death itself. If he let it take over he would be no more than the wolves he herded from the Valley of the Willow. Some of his fellows had already succumbed to the sorrow and have lost themselves.

He took one last look down the hills, hairy with grass, that lead down to the valley. He remembered walking down those same hills five hundred years ago leading a small pack of wolves. How things have changed.

#

"What do you mean…what can _we_ do about it?" asked Merwin. His boots pounded the dirt so much so that dust puffed at his knees. Merwin paced back and forth in front of the cottage. Celia knew his anger came strong and fast, but quickly dissipated like the morning rain. She also knew that his anger mixed with worry and thought that endearing.

"She can't go her whole life as an unruly child who sneaks out at the dead of night to do…who knows what," said Merwin

"Trust me I know. Just calm yourself a little, she just wanted to see the Archer tonight and will probably be back soon," said Celia

"The Archer who is that, a boy?"

"Stop acting silly. It's a cluster of stars. You know the Archer, the Cow and Boy Who Forgot. You should know this. After all, you are _supposed to_ be a sailor and they travel by the stars. All children learned that from school at an early age.

"We all didn't get to go to school to become learned scholars. My schooling came from polished steel, a saddle and sweat not from a room of books about stargazing."

Celia sat on a basket weaved from dried husks. It creaked when she shifted her weight. The comparisons of their upbringing always made her fidgety.

"Sorry your right." Celia got mad at herself. She should be more thoughtful of her and Merwin's dissimilar backgrounds. She grew up in a castle and him in the barracks. That had been such a long time ago. A time before Avalon had become their home.

The thought led her to recall life before the island, before their plight. She pictured her family, their rose gardens, the castle…the attack. The good memories of that time always bled into the bad. Reyna had been just born when they had to leave. When they talked, she didn't remember anything of it, perhaps for the better.

"Besides I know what the Archer is, I just thought…well you know she is starting to take an interest in boys now. I'm worried she is sneaking off to meet one," said Merwin.

Merwin's stormy movements began to ease. Celia could tell that his rain of anger had ended. "We have a little more time before those worries come to fruition. I mean you are right she is starting to show interest, but she is still very innocent."

Reyna grew older and with that came shifting interests. Celia had seen it before with her own children and now in her grandchild. However unlike her children, Reyna's change is unaided by a sheltered castle life. On Avalon, they lived humble lives away from extravagance or guarding eyes. They no longer had the benefits of wealth. Here in the middle of Greenwood forest, if a person fell, they had to pick themselves up and if they weren't careful they could tumble down a cliff.

"Innocent? I suppose she is, but even the innocent ones have a smart-mouth and a strong will."

"Well that _is_ partially your fault. Merwin _the witty_ isn't that what your Sergeant called you right before he made you run laps around Jostler Lake," laughed Celia.

"So he did, but on one of those runs I saw a certain noblewoman with her sisters sailing around the lake. That made me run a bit slower."

Celia's wrinkled cheeks stretched as she smiled at Merwin. She knew he loved her and she loved him as well. Their love came from different places and sailed on different winds. That subject had always been unaddressed and always made her feel guilty. After all, she owed the man her life. Either way it had always been clear they both loved Reyna like a granddaughter.

When they arrived on the shores of Avalon Reyna had been just a baby. Merwin and her planned to go into seclusion until they figured out what to do. That is when they met Nil'rem. They both were extremely suspicious of a man so willing to lend aid to strangers. His interest in Reyna had been disconcerting as well. Celia could not explain what exactly made her eventually trust the strange man. It certainly was not a kind tongue, the man knew only harsh honestly. The night he led them to this cottage twelve-years ago, right before his departure, he stared hard into Celia's eyes and said something she will never forget.

"Keep her safe. This child will save us all one day."

As the man turned his back and disappeared into the green Celia yelled back, "From what will she save us from?"

Like a fading whisper on the wind, she heard, "From ourselves."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: WAKING

There was only blackness, the kind of blackness when your mind awakes from sleep before your eyes. The kind of blackness you wish would send you back to that _lovely_ dream you had just lost. Reyna tried to shut her eyelids tighter, but it was too late. Once you are aware that you are trying _not_ to wake, it's all over. You can still 'rest your eyes' if you so desire, but it's not the same.

Just to be obnoxious, a beam of light began to flicker in her eyes. Fat drops of water began to fall on her skin and some creature far off, _hopefully far off_ , lit her ears up with its cackling.

"Oh please…geez shut up already. I'm opening my eyes."

Two eyes peeled from skin like a cabbage. They opened and saw green. When did her grandparent's ceiling become green and…wet?

"Crud, don't tell me I fell asleep."

Reyna snuck out last night to watch the stars again. The six stars that formed the Archer always had shown the brightest this day of the year. She had the perfect spot, free of tree branches and on the edge of "…Soaring Cliff! Double crud."

Reyna turned her head ever so slightly to the left and there was nothing. Not like nothing on the ground… _nothing._ More like there was no ground… _nothing._ While her body and head rested on rock, one of her braids dangled over the side of the cliff. The ribbon tied to the end blew in the air like a red flag, literally. Panic set in and her face puffed up holding back a scream. Cheeks washed apple red until she released her breath.

"I'm too young to die," shouted Reyna as she rolled away from the cliff. Her heart raced like it was Baker's day in town, just substitute excitement for a dash of frantic. Her body settled a safe distance away from the rock edge.

Air pumped out of Reyna like the blacksmith's bellows. After a few salvos, her breaths got longer and deeper. She took one deep gulp of air and released it. As quickly as the panic subsided, the first chuckle came. Her lips were so tight that it started out more like a spit. A few chuckles later with her head bobbing up and down the laughter became thunderous. Reyna wrapped her arms around her stomach as she vibrated.

"Oh, it hurts…it hurts, the laughing pains. Oh god I have to stop." Reyna wiped the tears from her eyes, most were from the overzealous laughter. Deep down she was still slightly terrified. Instead of waking to see green she could just have as easily woken to blue…fast approaching blue.

Reyna sat up. The Soaring Cliff overlooked the Red Sea. Her grandpa, Merwin used to tell her stories of his days as a sailor on the Red Sea, days long past. Merwin was a hard man wrapped in a soft package. She could hear his stern voice in her head, _"Reyna if it wasn't for all the dumb you'd be a smart girl."_

Speaking of her grandpa, she may have survived the Soaring Cliff, but if she doesn't get home in time, she won't survive his scolding. Reyna looked out to the sea. The sun had just wiggled free of the horizon. She still had a little time.

Reyna looked down at her locket. She cradled it in her hand. "You know old people they are always getting up early. I'd better get home or I'll have to sit through another long and boring speech from grandpa and we both don't want that."

Reyna kissed the quartz embedded in the silver locket with a smile. Before she let it drop to her chest, she shook it to see the liquid inside swish around its crystal chamber. With determination edged on her face, Reyna looked into the dense forest. She tied back her raven-black braids and bit down on the bottom of her lip like she always did when she got _serious._

"Ok let's do this," the _let's_ meaning her legs.

Reyna began to run towards the opening of the forest. She reached the end of the rock and took a step into the green. She rushed right into a broad leaf brimming with morning dew. The wetness startled her for a moment. She swept the beads from her forehead.

"Oh come on Rey, Rey wake up, what's a little water when you just almost fell into the sea, for crab's sake."

With that, Reyna charged into the forest at a run for her grandparent's cottage.

#

Time was running thin, but Reyna thought she could still make it to her covers before grandpa ventured into her room with hot oatmeal and cinnamon apples. She bunny-hopped a few stones bearded with moss. Fought her way through some pushy vines and ducked under a gaggle of bushes with only a little more to go.

She was racing though the forest faster than ever before. Motivation ran high to avoid yet another one of Merwin's 'I thought you were smarter than this' speeches. To which her only answer was 'Well one of us in this room was very wrong. Raise your hand if you are that person. Grandpa this is the part where you raise your hand.' Of course, he stopped laughing at that like five years ago and twenty speeches later.

If Reyna kept up her pace, she might have made it to the warmth of her covers long before the scent of cinnamon wafted through the cottage. However, thanks to some billowing smoke and the focus of a foggy mirror, Reyna got distracted. She could smell the smoky hickory-flavor in the air. It always reminded her of roasted meat. Her mouth grew wet with saliva.

The dirt ridge Reyna ran across overlooked the forest floor. She followed the finger of smoke with her eyes to the bottom where much brighter colors outdid the natural browns and greens of the forest. Half a dozen tents sprouted up around the trees. They celebrated the orange and red colors of House Randal. Reyna spotted a knitted flaming axe flapping in the wind. She always thought that flaming anything was a silly symbol when you lived on an island that was mostly wood. Either way the camp was enough to make her stop dead in her tracks.

She had been around long enough to know that these men were on a hunt. Reyna loved to see knights in their metal suits, but they never hunted in them, too much clanking. She also loved seeing horses, which were a rarity on the island. Normally the hunters brought a litter of Rasher hounds with them, not horses. No the thing that made Reyna stop in her tracks and risk a scolding sat nestled in the far corner of the camp. The yellow and green tent of House Brighton. Could _he_ be in that tent right now just waking up stretching for the sky? Reyna thought it was worth a look.


End file.
